The present invention relates to joints and more particularly, relates to lubrication and protection of joints such as hinges.
Noisy and squeaking joints, such as hinges, are a common and annoying problem. While it is possible to apply a lubricant to these noisy hinges, several problems still persist.
The first problem is that the lubricant, whether it is an aerosol or other spray type lubricant, a viscous grease type lubricant, oil, graphite, silicon, or white lithium grease, often creates a mess by dispersing to an area beyond the immediate hinge area. When applying the spray type lubricants, the user often applies too much, causing the lubricant to drip onto the door, doorframe, or flooring where it can permanently damage expensive carpets, woodwork, or tiles. While these spray type lubricants are easy to apply, the user often inadvertently sprays the lubricant on unintended areas such as the doorframe or the door itself, thus creating a mess or worse, damaging an expensive door or doorframe.
The viscous grease type lubricants also suffer from several problems. They are often very difficult and frustrating to apply, frequently forcing the user to apply the grease with his/her hands in order to get the grease into the desired location. Because of the difficulty in applying the grease, excess grease is frequently applied which can easily fall onto the floor or be smeared onto a passerby who accidentally brushes up against the hinge.
Accordingly, what is needed is a device to prevent the mess associated with the lubrication of joints such as hinges. The device should be relatively inexpensive, and should not require extensive modification or replacement of an existing joint. Moreover, the device should reduce the amount of maintenance involved in keeping a joint properly lubricated while protecting the immediate area from excess or overspray lubricant.
The present invention features a lubrication cover for a joint. The cover prevents the mess associated with the lubrication of joints, such as hinges, and reduces the amount of maintenance involved in keeping a joint properly lubricated. The cover includes a body made from a stretchable material such as, but not limited to, rubber, plastic, neoprene, and synthetic materials. The body forms a cavity sized to fit snuggly over the joint when the cover is in a stretched position. The body also includes at least one aperture adapted to allow a user to have access to the cavity formed by the body.
Optionally, the body further includes at least one tab to facilitate or aid in the placement of the cover over the joint. In a preferred embodiment, the body includes a first and at least a second tab disposed on a first and at least a second end of the body respectively. The tab may be an integral element of the body or a separate element.
The aperture may include a lid, a cover, or a plug. Optionally, the aperture includes a raised protrusion such as, but not limited to, a conical shaped protrusion, to facilitate the introduction of a lubricant into the cavity. According to a one embodiment, the aperture includes an adapter adapted to be connected to a grease gun.